Dragoon Camp Cemetery

Dragoon Camp Cemetery is a small First World War burial ground near Ypres (Ieper) in West Flanders, Belgium, located on Kleinepoezelstraat to the east of the village, in an area that a century ago lay just south of the road connecting Boesinghe to Pilckem.

Where does the name come from?

The cemetery takes its name from a nearby military encampment known as Dragoon Camp, reached by a track that led from a point near Dragoon House, passing the Villa Gretchen along the way. In fact, the burial ground was originally known by the name of that villa — the first graves here were recorded as the Villa Gretchen Cemetery.

When was the cemetery established?

The ground was captured on 31 July 1917 by the 38th (Welsh) Division, which took part in the British summer offensive in Flanders that year. Just over a week later, on 9 August 1917, soldiers of the 13th Royal Welch Fusiliers began burying their fallen comrades on this spot, marking the formal start of the cemetery.

What role did this site play during the war?

Three Casualty Clearing Stations — the 4th, 47th and 61st — operated in the immediate vicinity, treating men wounded during the 1917 summer offensive that became known as the Third Battle of Ypres, or the Battle of Passchendaele. That campaign, fought across churned, waterlogged ground, is remembered as one of the costliest and most gruelling of the entire war, and the presence of these clearing stations meant a steady flow of casualties requiring burial close to where they died of their wounds.

How long was the cemetery in use?

Burials continued here without interruption from August 1917 until early 1918. In total, 66 First World War servicemen were laid to rest at Dragoon Camp Cemetery, ten of whom could not be identified and are buried as unknown soldiers.

Is the cemetery still maintained today?

Despite its modest size, Dragoon Camp Cemetery remains under the care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), the body responsible for commemorating and maintaining the graves of Commonwealth service personnel who died in both world wars. It is one of many small burial grounds scattered around Ypres, a town that found itself at the very centre of the fighting throughout the war, defended within the famous Ypres Salient — a bulge in the front line held by Allied forces for the war's duration.

Why is this place worth visiting?

Though small and far less visited than the larger cemeteries of the region, Dragoon Camp Cemetery offers an authentic glimpse into the realities of trench warfare during the summer and autumn of 1917. Its close connection to the nearby casualty clearing stations helps visitors picture the logistics of treating and burying the wounded evacuated from the front lines. For travellers following the network of smaller, more intimate CWGC cemeteries around the Ypres Salient, it is a meaningful stop that illustrates just how densely the countryside around the town was marked by burial grounds during the Third Battle of Ypres.

Frequently asked questions

How many people are buried at Dragoon Camp Cemetery? The cemetery holds 66 First World War burials, including 10 unidentified soldiers.

Who established the cemetery? It was established on 9 August 1917 by soldiers of the 13th Royal Welch Fusiliers, part of the 38th (Welsh) Division.

Which battle is this cemetery associated with? The Third Battle of Ypres, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele, fought in the summer and autumn of 1917.

Where exactly is the cemetery located? On Kleinepoezelstraat, east of the village, near the former Boesinghe-Pilckem road.